New Renault Koleos Sport shows a tougher edge

Renault New Zealand has refreshed its Koleos mid-size SUV range with the new Koleos Sport.

The new Koleos Sport adds a powerful new edge to the look of the range, beginning externally with unique Graphite gloss 22-inch alloy wheels, side steps and ‘Sport’-embossed leather seats.

The current Koleos was launched in New Zealand in 2016 and Renault New Zealand General Manager, Henry Belt, says the new model emphatically states Renault’s intention to take a bigger share of the burgeoning and intensely competitive SUV market by broadening the Koleos range to offer models that suit Kiwi lifestyles.

“Koleos has already won the hearts of many of our loyal Renault customers and drawn others to the brand. Now we are expanding the appeal of the range and offering more New Zealanders a Koleos to suit their lifestyle,” he said.

The Koleos range begins with the $39,990 Zen. Sport versions of the Zen are $44,990. The premium version is the Intens, which starts at $49,990. Sport versions of the Intens are $54,990. The Diesel Koleos model completes the line up at $56,990.

Driving safety is a cornerstone of Renault’s culture. Its current technology builds on fifty years of research and development into accident protection and prevention.

Advanced Emergency Braking works with the vehicle’s ABS antilock brakes and electronic stability control, sensing likely frontal impacts and bringing the brake pads closer to the disc surface. If a crash is likely it will even brake independently, minimising reaction times. Variable force airbag triggering responds to the severity of the impact, tailoring the bag’s response accordingly. Easy Park Assist (Intens only) guides the vehicle into the perfect parallel parking position using multiple sensors. Other driver ‘assists’ include lane departure and blind spot warnings for the driver and emergency braking warning for other vehicles.

The Koleos range is built with the Kiwi family in mind, with enough power to tow the boat or trailer. Available with a 2.5 litre multipoint injected four-cylinder petrol engine (Zen and Intens) or a 2.0 litre turbodiesel (Intens). The petrol engine produces 126 kW of power at 6,000 rpm and 226 Nm at 4,400 rpm; the diesel produces 130 kW at 3,750 rpm and 380 Nm at 2,000 rpm.

The Koleos range is available in 2WD for the Zen model, and 4WD in the Intens and Diesel variants. If set in ‘auto’ mode, Renault’s All-Mode 4WD technology maximises grip at each corner of the vehicle, sensing where traction is reduced and sending drive effort to other wheels. Ground clearance is 210mm.

One of the largest offerings in the mid-size SUV market, its interior space is almost unmatched by rivals; and rear passenger knee room in particular is noteworthy at 289 mm and headroom is 853 mm front/911 mm rear – all while offering 487 litres of immediate-access boot space.

“With technology, safety and driving space that defies expectations and levels of comfort and finish that have to be experienced to be believed, Koleos sets the new standard in SUVs,” said Mr Belt.

The styling of the Koleos places it at the forefront of Renault’s recent design philosophy, Emotion in Motion’. It creates a true European SUV with a silhouette highlighted in chrome, distinctive but never gaudy, muscular yet sophisticated. From the front, Koleos sport is the first Renault model to adopt a new and eye-catching C-shaped ‘signature’ LED daylight running light incorporated in the styling headlight zone.

In 2016, Renault Head of Design Laurens van den Acker said the design team’s task was “to imagine an SUV that was elegant, but also modern and dynamic. We accentuated taut, powerful, horizontal lines, muscular haunches and a high ground clearance.”

Inside, a formidable range of ‘infotainment’ technology is available to the driver and other occupants through the RLink 2 system, which gives access to navigation and multimedia system with voice control and custom home screens.

The screen itself is a dynamic TFT (Thin-Film Transistor) that offers users the same swipe, pinch and other familiar finger-based gesture instruction as modern smartphones and other devices. With more depth and colour than a regular screen, driver information is delivered clearly even in bright sunlight or for moving imagery.

Koleos models are available in seven metallic colours and a solid white. The Sport, like other Koleos models, has a three year, unlimited kilometre warranty and offer reduced cost of ownership through use of longer service intervals.

“We are introducing the Koleos Sport to New Zealand with a very high standard specification and an extremely competitive price because we believe there is a gap in the market for a stylish European-designed medium SUV that suits the Kiwi lifestyle,” said Mr Belt.

For more information, please contact:

Henry Belt General Manager, Renault New Zealand +64 27 448 7030

Renault New Zealand Koleos model range from April 2018

Version Engine Transmission Price

Zen 2.5 petrol CVT/FWD $39,990

Zen Sport 2.5 petrol CVT/FWD $44,990

Intens 2.5 petrol CVT/FWD $49,990

Intens Sport 2.5 petrol CVT/4WD $54,990

Intens diesel 2.0 turbo CVT/4WD $56,990

Renault New Zealand

Renault is part of the world’s biggest global alliance of automotive brands. For 120 years, Renault has been committed to making its customers’ lives easier every day. The company was established in France in 1899 and now offers a range of award-winning models. The Captur small SUV has been best seller in its class in Europe since launch in 2013 and has garnered numerous awards. Locally, the Trafic Van was named Van of the Year in Light Commercial Vehicle magazine 2017; the larger Renault Master Van was Driven magazine’s Van of the Year 2017. The Renault Van range has been the number one selling brand in Europe for 18 years.